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dreamspirit: my journey - it sucks


dreamspirit

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Not thought...I meant though..

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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I'm pretty much back to feeling normal now.. pretty stable... which I'm very happy about..

 

Took a good while to restablize but with over a year of tapering it probably was going to take a while to restablize fully as well..

 

I still plan on doing a taper but not right now.. going to give my brain a long break from it for a little bit..

 

Good thing it still works after 19 years worth of using.

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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The nasal sprays are better because they are topical.  But again - there is a rebound effect, and if you use the nasal sprays daily, you will start to have sinus rebound attacks.  Humph, all these drugs want you to be addicted to them!

 

I meant to say (but got caught up in drug interactions) - it is better to take them than to be sick with allergies during withdrawal.  IIRC, there is plenty in Michigan to be allergic to!  Especially this time of year (for me, anyway).

 

You can taper the Zyrtec later.  I tried to taper off antihistamines last year, thinking - well - this is OTC stuff, should be no big deal!  I got down to 1/4 tablet, then the allergies came back full force and I was snarfing Benadryl to survive.  Benadryl is like my "emergency antihistamine," so I don't like snarfing huge gobs of it.

 

I ended up back on the Zyrtec / Claratyne / etc non drowsy ones, to reduce my use of Benadryl.  I alternate to a different one every 4 weeks because I've been on antihistamines for 45 years!  I'm terrified of poop out, so I alternate to retain some efficacy!

 

THAT SAID, I give my long term antihistamine use some credit (well, actually a liability) for my emotional lability as a teenager, possibly contributing to extreme PMS, moodiness, and alienated feelings.  They are not the sole factor contributing to my "bipolar" diagnosis, but they were a contributing cause, I'm sure.

 

 

Jan can you please explain what you mean by sinus rebound attacks. I was switched from Claratin to Flonase during my severe withdrawal and I have been scared to switch back. Problem is I am experiencing very bad dizziness with my slow taper and feelings of clogged ears and sinus pressure. Do you think this could be because of the switch in allergy medications?

40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding.....

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Most of my withdrawl symptoms are gone.. at least all the bad ones but I do still have headaches off and on, head stuffyness, and it sometimes feels like my head is hot or that I have a fever when I don't, dry throat and some lightheadedness.

 

Is this just because of reinstating back up to my original dose of 40mg back on July 7 ? And it's start up symptoms yet or ??

 

I got down to 30mg and crashed and reinstated back up to 40mg..

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Anyone?

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Anyone?

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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I think it is great that all of your bad withdrawal symptoms are gone. Mine are still present-at least all the bad ones.

05/2013 Lyrica 100 mg / per day for pain + PGAD resulting from caesarian delivery11/2014 started to taper: 50 mg per day/ for one week then c/tafter one month reinstated at 50 mg /per days of 10 July 2015 drug free-

symptoms OCD

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Yes, I'm glad they are gone but I do still have some lingering symptoms off and on which I hope will go away in time as well..

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Dreamspirit, when I compare these which stayed with you for example headache, stuffyness to mine (intrusive thoughts, thoughts to harm myself and others)I would take yours in a minute.

05/2013 Lyrica 100 mg / per day for pain + PGAD resulting from caesarian delivery11/2014 started to taper: 50 mg per day/ for one week then c/tafter one month reinstated at 50 mg /per days of 10 July 2015 drug free-

symptoms OCD

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I know.. I'm so sorry you are going through that... my husband withdrew off of Lyrica years ago.. he tapered fast as how the doctors tell you.. not only did he taper that, he also tapered vicodin and methadone at the same time..

I don't know how he did it.. I do remember him being sick on the couch for awhile.

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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I need to go read your story,Martina.. read some but not all..

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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I've been off my allergy med (Zyrtec) for 2 weeks now.... I've taken it for several years.. I haven't had any rebound allergies from it so that's good.. the only thing I had was the itchyness and that is subsiding..

 

I'm no longer going to be taking it again everyday for years... I will only take it for a day or two when I really need it..

 

In a few months I will start my paxil taper again... I figured that my last taper lasted a little over a year before I crashed so that's how long my brain had changes going on so I figured it will take quite a few months for it to totally straighten out as well. Give it some time to relax and take a breather before I start again..

 

All my withdrawl symptoms from my crash are gone except every once in awhile I may feel lightheaded or have some anxious feelings but nothing major.

 

I'll be doing a 2.5% taper every 6 months to start out.. since my withdrawls are always delayed by many months, I want to start out slow and see if I get at symptoms by doing the 2.5% taper every 6 months..then I can go from there.. don't want to be non functional. So we shall see.

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Dreamspirit, I'm so glad you are doing better! I agree with taking a while before going back on the taper!!

Username: quitpaxil2015 - Started antidepressants sometime in 1990. Misdiagnosed with Bipolar, but later with thyroid disease in1998 (8 years of being on several different psychiatric meds with several psychiatric hospitalizations). Total thyroidectomy in 1999. At the time, was on 85 mg of Paxil. In 2001, tried to get off Paxil and had car crash due to vertigo and w/d symptoms. Given more psychiatric meds including Prozac and Trazodone to treat SEVERE w/d from Paxil - which is the only reason I still take Paxil. Tried to taper off Paxil again in 2004  - from 25 mg to 20 mg (5 mg cuts) - had to go back on 25 mg on the 10th day of the taper due to inability to function (dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness, crying spells, depersonalization, etc). Currently on Paxil 25 mg and Trazodone 100 mg. Trying to quit Paxil in 2015. April 22, 2015 - Paxil 22.5 mg. May 13, 2015 Paxil 20 mg. June 3, 2015 - Paxil 17.5 mg. June 24, 2015 - Paxil 15 mg. Don't remember  - 12.5 mg. August 5, 2015 - Paxil 10 mg. September 16, 2015 - 7.5 mg (considering going back up - severe anxiety/panic) September 28, 2015 - back up to 10 mg. October 6, 2015  - back up to 15 mg.   :unsure:

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Thanks for stopping by, quitpaxil.. We get new insurance beginning of the new year and I think I'm going to see if they will cover the genesight test... If not, I'll just pay for it.

I want to weigh both options before I make a decision.. If I want to cross taper or just start tapering.

 

I guess I'm just confused on what to do right now. My last taper I did 1mg drops every 4-6 weeks (Mainly every 4) and didn't get any withdrawal symptoms until a year out except maybe some lightheadness and then I crashed.

 

Don't want to go through that again.. I read somewhere that going to fast in a taper is not good and also going to slow is not good either but how is going to slow not good? Or is that not true?

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Hi dreamspirit ,

 

I have never heard that. I don't think you can go too slow .

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2364-the-slowness-of-slow-tapers/

 

Ali.

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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I didn't think so either but I read that somewhere or someone told me that. Can't quite remember..

The slower the better I say.

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Agreed.  Slow " turtle" taper !  LOL.  It sounds like you have a plan, 2.5% every 6 months. I don't see how you can go wrong with that !  To stay " functional " is the aim.  I hope this works for you.

 

Ali.

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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I don't know exactly what what I'm going to do yet.. I want to get the genesight test done and see what meds would work for me if I decide to cross taper.

When I crashed I started taking Prozac and that was terrible but now I realize that you can't cross taper in the middle of a crash.. You have to be stable when you start it.

 

So it's either cross taper or do 2.5% drop every 4-6 months.

I think I will get the genesight test done first and see what it says and go from there.

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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I must be in a little bit of a wave today from reinstating back in July. Just feel blah and stomach out of wack. Had that stuffy headache last night too.

Hopefully it passes soon..

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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I have been thinking about my last taper and crash. I was tapering by 1mg instead of a percentage and doing pretty much 1mg drops every 4 weeks (Did hold a couple times longer than 4 weeks)..

Wondering if that could be why I crashed? Because the reduction got bigger as I got down to 30mg from 40mg by going by 1mg drops instead of a percentage? ? Any advice on that??

 

I'll post my taper schedule again..

 

My 40mg pill weighed 500 and I would minus that number by 12.5 and that is how I did my 1mg drops.

 

Paxil reduction

Jan 18 2014- Started taking 1mg reduction at 39mg ... 487

 

Feb 23 2014- Started taking another 1 milligram reduction at 38 MG ... 475

 

March 30 2014 started taking another 1 mg reduction at 37 mg... 462.5

 

may 4 2014 started taking another 1 mg reduction... At 36 mg... 450

 

June 7 2014 started taking another 1 mg reduction... At 35 mg ...437

 

August 17 2014 started taking another 1 mg reduction.. At 34 mg.. 424

 

October 6 2014 started taking another 1 mg reduction... At 33 mg... 411

 

November 11 2014 started taking another one mg reduction .. At 32 mg... 398

 

Dec 23 2014 started taking another 1 mg reduction. ... at 31mg ...387

 

Jan 24 2015 started taking another 1 mg reduction. ... at 30mg....374

 

March 12 2015- Started taking another 1 mg reduction. .....at 29mg.....361

 

June 5 2015- Started taking 30mg at ...374

 

July 6 2015- Started taking 10 mg of prozac

No more prozac

-------------------------------

I wanted to try a cross over to Prozac but I was in my crash when I tried doing that and now now you can't try to cross over while in a bad crash..

 

Also, I reinstated back to my 40 MG July 7. Took a good 6 weeks to feel better. How long should I wait till I try to taper again?

 

Any suggestions as far as if I crashed because I was going by MG drops instead of a percentage, would be appreciated and how long I should wait till I try to taper again...

 

Xoxo

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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  • Moderator

Hi DS--  The math checks out and the schedule looks okay.  There are three things that could have contributed; 1. sensitivity to dose changes, 2. accelerating reduction size and 3. time between tapers.  The recommended schedule we profess is for a minimum of a month (four weeks) between drops, from everything I have seen that is still too fast, and most people have better luck if they wait 6-8 weeks between drops.  Some people need even longer.  Your starting drop works out to 2.5%, a very conservative drop, and your last drop had worked it's way up to 3.5%, still a rather conservative drop.  But the amounts had increased, where as with a percentage drop the amount would have slightly decreased over the same time period.  So if you are the least bit sensitive, the changes could have accumulated over time and caught up with you causing the crash.  For your next try I think 2.5% every 6-8 weeks would be a good starting point, and maybe throw in an extra few weeks hold every 10% just to let things settle out.

 

Time wise I think you could start anytime now, but it's really up to how stable you're feeling.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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Hi DS-- The math checks out and the schedule looks okay. There are three things that could have contributed; 1. sensitivity to dose changes, 2. accelerating reduction size and 3. time between tapers. The recommended schedule we profess is for a minimum of a month (four weeks) between drops, from everything I have seen that is still too fast, and most people have better luck if they wait 6-8 weeks between drops. Some people need even longer. Your starting drop works out to 2.5%, a very conservative drop, and your last drop had worked it's way up to 3.5%, still a rather conservative drop. But the amounts had increased, where as with a percentage drop the amount would have slightly decreased over the same time period. So if you are the least bit sensitive, the changes could have accumulated over time and caught up with you causing the crash. For your next try I think 2.5% every 6-8 weeks would be a good starting point, and maybe throw in an extra few weeks hold every 10% just to let things settle out.

 

Time wise I think you could start anytime now, but it's really up to how stable you're feeling.

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Thanks so much for your reply, Brass..

What do you mean by...but the amounts had increased and with a percentage drop they would have decreased?

 

I'm not sure what exactly that means..

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Hi dreamspirit. I've read through your thread and what happened to you is so very similar to what happened to me: I was reducing by a fixed amount rather than percentage, and over time the percentage got to be too big and I crashed. Like you, my withdrawal symptoms are delayed for several months so it's hard to figure out what exactly caused the crash - most likely it's the cumulative effect of many drops. That you have recovered from your crash gives me SO much hope, although I'm sorry you're still getting waves. Good luck on your taper! I agree with Brass that 4-5 weeks is too short a hold (that's what I was doing too). I think holding for longer periods, as well dropping by percentage instead of a fixed amount, is going to make all the difference for you.

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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Hi Rachelina, Thanks for stopping by my thread..

Yes, my withdrawl symptoms were very delayed too. By many many months.

 

I get confused on the percentage and mg drop thing... isn't saying I'm dropping by 1mg is the same as saying I'm dropping by 2.5% ? What's the difference?

People say percentage is better than dropping by mgs but not sure what the difference is?

 

I'm going to have to drop by your thread and read your story, Rachelina..

I would like to follow you as well since we are similar in our tapers :-)

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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Maybe someone else can explain it better, but I'll try. You calculate the percentage based on your current dose, not your original dose. Your first 1 mg drop was 2.5%,  but your next 1 mg drop was a slightly bigger percentage. By the time of your last drop, you were dropping by 3.5% even though the amount of your drop stayed the same. Likewise, I was dropping by 0.1 mg each time. Dropping from 1 to .9 mg was a 10% drop, but dropping from .6 to .5 was a 17% drop. Hence my crash. Plus I am someone who has had trouble dropping by 10% in the past, so I should have been dropping by more like 5% or less.

 

I also think longer holding times are key. For the sake of argument imagine that each tiny drop gives you little waves that last for a year or so. If you're holding for a month each time, then you're dealing with the effects of 12 drops at once. If you hold for two months each time, you're only dealing with six drops at once. Of course it's not as clear cut as that, but you get the idea: withdrawal is cumulative.

 

Anyway, once I stablilize I hope to be be joining you on a super super super slow taper :)

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hey Dream, it sounds like you've gotten more stable since I last looked in on you!  Good stuff!  Keep working on your Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms to get yourself nice and strong for when you are ready to try again!

 

Happy Thanksgiving (yes, I saw 2 wild turkeys today, but they were Australian ones!)!

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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Yes, I'm more stable than what I was but I still don't feel like it's working like it use to.. I don't have any major withdrawls but my stomach don't feel good off and on and still have some agoraphobia.

And don't feel as happy as I use to on it.

I'm not having any crying fits or anything like that or any Andrenaline surges but since I've been on it so long it's has probably poop out and I'm just taking it so I don't have major withdrawls.

 

 

It also could be that since I reinstated back to 40mg from 30mg.. Maybe it's too activating and it's making me feel like this. I don't know. I reinstated on July 7 and it took a good 6 weeks to feel better after my crash.

 

Maybe I'll feel better after I start reducing. .

 

Any thoughts?

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

When you start reducing down, I believe you will notice that the windows are brighter, regardless of what the waves throw at you.  You will find more of yourself shining through where the drug has numbed it for so long.

 

And tummy trouble?  Seasonal flu - or - 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8632-flu-like-wd-vs-a-flu-like-virus-how-to-tell/

 

- or - 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3413-digestive-problems-nausea-diarrhea-bloating-gerd/

 

- or - 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4945-food-sensitivities/    ???

 

Personally, having a nasty tummy makes me a grumpy bum!  :huh:

 

I hope you are having a splendid holiday.

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Dreamspirit,

 

Just checking on you. In my case the larger % drop is what may have caused me to go over the deep abyss in October/November. I was finally able to get back to work on 11/23, and continue to adjust to my reinstated dose of Paxil to 15 mg. I had gone down from 10 mg to 7.5 mg, a 33% drop, so I crashed. I also had been tapering every 4 weeks (sometimes 3 weeks) by 2.5 mg (not considering the %) since April 2015 - so I may have had some accumulation that also caused me to crash. Thus, I think it is great that you are planning a SLOW taper of 2.5%.

 

I hope I have the courage to start tapering again in the future.  For now, I am holding my dose...

 

Hang in there!

 

QP

Username: quitpaxil2015 - Started antidepressants sometime in 1990. Misdiagnosed with Bipolar, but later with thyroid disease in1998 (8 years of being on several different psychiatric meds with several psychiatric hospitalizations). Total thyroidectomy in 1999. At the time, was on 85 mg of Paxil. In 2001, tried to get off Paxil and had car crash due to vertigo and w/d symptoms. Given more psychiatric meds including Prozac and Trazodone to treat SEVERE w/d from Paxil - which is the only reason I still take Paxil. Tried to taper off Paxil again in 2004  - from 25 mg to 20 mg (5 mg cuts) - had to go back on 25 mg on the 10th day of the taper due to inability to function (dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness, crying spells, depersonalization, etc). Currently on Paxil 25 mg and Trazodone 100 mg. Trying to quit Paxil in 2015. April 22, 2015 - Paxil 22.5 mg. May 13, 2015 Paxil 20 mg. June 3, 2015 - Paxil 17.5 mg. June 24, 2015 - Paxil 15 mg. Don't remember  - 12.5 mg. August 5, 2015 - Paxil 10 mg. September 16, 2015 - 7.5 mg (considering going back up - severe anxiety/panic) September 28, 2015 - back up to 10 mg. October 6, 2015  - back up to 15 mg.   :unsure:

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Thanks so much guys, for checking in with me... I'm planning on starting my taper soon. I've been taking a little breather from the forum.

Sometimes you just need that little break.

I've been pretty stable lately. Which is good.

Yes, I will be taking it slow for sure.. I'll post when I start my taper :-)

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi dreamspirit , happy new year.

 

Just popping in to say hi and catch up. I'm wondering if the tummy troubles etc. since you

went back to 40mg are symptoms of toxicity . . . rather than poop-out , the drug isn't being

metabolized and is swirling around in your system causing "side-effects".

If that is the case , they should resolve as you decrease.

 

I'm investing in a long hold every now and then to hopefully , avoid the situation you've

had occur. Just held for 10 weeks , for better or worse.

 

I love what MollyN wrote: It's funny how getting off feels so hugely important at first - until you hit the withdrawals then you realize you'll take forever if it means you don't have to suffer so violently!

 

Best wishes , Fresh

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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Well, I started my taper tonight again.. on 40mg dropped to 39mg.. will hold there for 3-4 months until I do another drop.

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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I have a question.... I'm weighing my tablets and a 40mg paxil is around 500mg..

But some are 502, 504 and they just vary.

I've been doing a 2.5% drop.. so I calculate 500 minus 12.5 to get my dose weight..

Since the pills vary in weight do I weigh everyone of the pills..? Example.. if one pill weighs 500 I minus that by 12.5 and that gives me 487 and if another pill weighs 504 then I minus that by 12.5 and that gives me 491 and etc etc... or do I just stick with most all pills weigh 500 and my dose is always 487?

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

Link to comment

Do I go by what every pill weighs or just stay with the dose weight of 487?

 

Been on Paxil since 96”-97”, 40mg tried 3 times to get off and didn’t work, started a very slow taper Jan 2016, have only dropped down by 3 mg.. on 37mg currently.. have very delayed withdrawals. Last drop was in July 2017.. still have waves and windows. 

 

Magnesium 200mg, foilc acid 1 mg, vitamin d3 5000iu, Blood pressure meds-Verapamil & Irbesartan... Smoke cbd flower once in awhile. 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi dreamspirit , nice to hear you're ready to start tapering again.  

This isn't my area of expertise , but I'm sure others will chip in.

 

Seems that taking a dose weight e.g 487mg  is very consistent.  You know you're getting the same amount each time.

If you take a set amount from a total weight that changes , your dose will change.

 

Anyone else?

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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